Yes — for Les Feldick, prayer is a basic, essential part of the Christian life because it is how believers communicate with God, give thanks, and intercede for others.
In the Scriptures, Daniel prayed faithfully even under pressure, and believers are called to offer praise from their lips. Les Feldick stresses that God wants to hear from His people, that He hears each believer individually, and that the prayers of the saints sustain ministries and change circumstances. He also warns that Christians should not treat prayer as a ritual or fail to believe that God will answer.
Daniel 6:10 — Les uses Daniel's prayer habit as the biblical starting point for why the Christian community needs to return to prayer.
2 Corinthians 1:11 — Shows Paul depending on the prayers of believers to sustain his ministry, a key reason prayer remains important.
Hebrews 13:15 — Identifies prayer as the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to God.
Scripture gives multiple examples of prayer as a regular and essential practice. Daniel kept praying and giving thanks "before his God" even after a royal decree tried to stop him (Daniel 6:10). In the New Testament, Paul asks believers, "Ye also helping together by prayer for us" (2 Corinthians 1:11), and Hebrews 13:15 tells believers to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Prayer is also associated with intercession and spiritual growth. Romans 8:27 says the Spirit who searches hearts "maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Acts 3:1 shows Peter and John going to the temple "at the hour of prayer," and Ephesians 1:17-18 records Paul's prayer for believers to receive "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him" with "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened."
Les Feldick begins by saying, "I think if ever there's been a time when the Christian community needs to come back to the basic tenet of prayer, it's the day in which we live" (Clip 0). He uses Daniel 6:10 because Daniel's prayer habits caused men to plot against him, yet Daniel continued to pray anyway. For Les, prayer is not a ritual but communication: God wants to hear praise and thanks from our lips (Clip 6), and He hears each believer individually when they come to the throne room (Clip 4). Les also sees prayer as effective and essential to ministry. Paul's ministry was sustained by the prayers of the saints, and "prayer does change things" (Clip 3). He calls on believers never to fail to pray for one another, especially for those in ministry. He gives the warning that God will not answer an unbeliever's prayer merely to rescue him from trouble, though He will hear a prayer of salvation (Clip 2). At the same time, believers must actually believe God will answer; Les points to the Acts prayer meeting for Peter where those praying did not believe the answer had come, and he calls God "a prayer-answering God" (Clip 1). Finally, Les notes that Christianity, unlike some other religions, has no designated hours of prayer (Clip 5). Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 is an example of praying for fellow believers to receive spiritual wisdom and revelation (Clip 7).
Les Feldick teaches that God is not going to hear the prayers of an unbeliever just to get that person out of a tight spot. He will hear their prayer for salvation, but an unsaved person in an emergency cannot expect God to answer as His child could. Les grounds this in Romans 8:7, where the carnal mind is enmity against God and not subject to His law. He adds that believers cannot force the unbelieving world to live a Christian life; they can only pray for them.
Les Feldick says "prayer does change things." He explains that Paul was helped and sustained in his ministry by the prayers of the saints, and he urges believers never to fail to pray for one another. He also observes that believers today often pray repeatedly without really believing the answer will come, just as the disciples in Acts 12 prayed fervently for Peter's release and then could not believe he was at the door. Les's answer is clear: God is a prayer-answering God and believers should expect Him to act.
Les uses Paul's example in 2 Corinthians 1:11 to show that believers should help together by prayer for those in ministry. He also points to Ephesians 1 where Paul prays that believers would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus and that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened. These prayers are more than requests for material needs; they are spiritual intercession for growth and effectiveness.
The Basic Tenet of Prayer
Les begins by saying the Christian community needs to come back to the basic tenet of prayer, and he uses Daniel's prayer habits as the biblical example.
God Is a Prayer-Answering God
Les points out that even a fervent prayer meeting for Peter's release did not expect the answer, yet God answered — believers today should truly believe that God will respond to prayer.
Unbelievers and Prayer
Les teaches that God will hear an unbeliever's prayer for salvation but will not answer prayers that merely try to escape a tight spot, because the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Prayers of the Saints Sustain Ministry
Les explains from 2 Corinthians 1:11 that Paul was sustained in ministry by the prayers of believers and that prayer does change things.
God Hears Each Believer Individually
Les teaches that when believers approach the throne room, God hears each one as an individual, giving personal assurance that prayer is heard.
No Set Hours of Prayer
Les shows from Acts 3:1 that while apostles went to the temple at the hour of prayer, Christianity does not have designated prayer hours like other religions.
Prayer Is Communication and Praise
Les teaches that God wants to hear praise and thanksgiving from our lips, because prayer is communication with Him.
Prayer for Spiritual Growth
Les uses Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 to show that prayer includes asking God for wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.
Daniel 6:10: Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Daniel's example shows regular, thankful prayer continuing even under a royal decree.
Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Les uses this to explain why God does not answer the personal prayers of an unbeliever in the same way He hears believers.
2 Corinthians 1:11: Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Paul shows how the prayers of believers supported his ministry.
Romans 8:27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Reminds believers that God searches hearts and knows the mind of the Spirit in prayer.
Acts 3:1: Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Shows the apostles participating in a set hour of prayer, though Les notes Christianity has no required daily prayer ritual.
Hebrews 13:15: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Les quotes this to show that God wants audible praise and thanksgiving as part of prayer.
Ephesians 1:17-18: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Paul's prayer for believers demonstrates intercession for spiritual wisdom and revelation.
Prayer is the way believers communicate with God. According to Les Feldick, the Christian community needs to come back to this basic tenet, because God wants praise and thanksgiving from His people and He hears each believer individually. Prayer also changes things and sustains those in ministry.
Les Feldick teaches that God will not answer the prayer of an unbeliever who is only trying to escape a tight spot. However, He will hear an unbeliever's prayer for salvation because the carnal mind is enmity against God (Romans 8:7).
No. Les Feldick notes that Christianity never has designated hours of prayer like some other religions. Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer in Acts 3:1, but that does not mean believers today are bound to a ritual prayer clock.
Les says yes — "prayer does change things." He points to 2 Corinthians 1:11, where Paul was sustained by the prayers of the saints, and he says believers should never fail to pray for one another and should genuinely believe God will answer.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Says Pray About Everything — Philippians 4:6-7